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This is almost certainly booty from the Omdurman campaign 1896-98, fought by the British to put the Khalifa el Mahdi out of business, as he had raised a jihad against them, based on his tribal levies from Sudan. The blade (36" long by 1.75" wide at the forte) is European and has been carefully sharpened for field service.

Some 30 years ago I had one of these with an inscription inked on the scabbard from Slatin Pasha, the famous Hungarian mercenary who served with the British in the Sudan alongside Gordon of Khartoum. That one dated from the 1880s, but was essentially the same type with a silver wrapped hilt. This is only the second one I have had in all my years of dealing - they are rare survivors from this era. A sword of this quality would almost certainly have belonged to an emir or a senior officer on the Mahdi's staff.

The condition is excellent overall, apart from some age wear to the leather, some minor dirt on the cotton sword knot and a dent on the bottom mount.

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